The stakes will be a lot higher this year when the Farmington and Oak Park football teams meet again Friday night.

The two programs are well known to each other, but their Division 2 district tournament game will be the first post-season encounter between them.

Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at Oak Park. Both teams are 7-2 and members of the Oakland Activities Association.

"They're an awfully good football team," Farmington coach John Bechtel said. "They have great offensive weapons, but I think the strength of their team is certainly their defense, their defensive front in particular.

"They've got a lot of experience on that defensive unit. They're incredibly well coached. It's going to be a real tough game."

The teams played in the regular season the previous four years and split the OAA White Division series.

The Falcons won the OAA Blue championship this year; the Knights finished in a three-way tie for the OAA White title with Harrison and Southfield.

"We've had great games with Oak Park the last two years," Bechtel said. "We were 2-2 against them and every game has been within a touchdown.

"If the past is any indication of what's going to happen on Friday, it's just going to be a real good football game."

Series history

Oak Park won the last two meetings, 20-15 and 26-21 last year. Farmington won the previous two by a 46-0 count in 2010 and 14-6 the next year.

The Falcons were 4-1 against the Knights from 2002 through 2006 when they were in the OAA Division II.

That was before former Detroit dePorres and Inkster coach Greg Carter took charge of the Oak Park program.

Oak Park's losses were to Detroit PSL power Cass Tech in the season opener, 27-26, and Southfield two weeks ago, 20-16.

"I think this is a better Oak Park team because of their experience," Bechtel said. "This is a real, real good football team. It's going to be a great opportunity for us in week one of the playoffs.

"Last year's team and that of two years ago are different from this year's team, but the kids have confidence they can go and play well and so do we (as coaches)."

Star running back

The Knights are led by running back John Kelly, a highly recruited senior who has breakaway speed and is the focal point of the Oak Park offense.

"We have (seen Kelly) the last couple years, so it's not like we don't know anything about him," Bechtel said. "He's certainly a great player. There can't be many backs in the state as good as him.

"He's elusive; he's tough and he's experienced. We just have to try to shut down the lanes that he'll be looking for, and that's going to be a big challenge."

Quarterback Chauncey Lowman is an effective passer if the defense manages to stop Kelly, and he's a capable runner, too.

"He's a great weapon as well," Bechtel said. "He's tall and can see the field real well. He has great outside receivers, and (the line does) a great job of protecting for him.

"With the running threat of Kelly in the backfield, it certainly makes it more difficult to defend the pass."

Oak Park strategy

The Knights use a zone blocking scheme to get the defenders moving down the line, and they let Kelly find a seam through which to run.

Farmington's perimeter defenders have dual responsibilities for run support and pass coverage, and Oak Park's aim is to put stress on the defense and create conflicts for it, according to Bechtel.

"That's been the nature of what they've done since coach Carter has been there – and they throw the football off that," he said. "They have some great skill kids on the perimeter, and they a have whole slew of backs besides John.

"We have to play great defensively. We have to read keys and read them quickly. We have to try to eliminate their speed kids getting the ball in space. We have to try to squeeze that space off."

Oak Park's defense features a number of three-year starters and has allowed only 96 points. The Knights have four shutouts, including one over Harrison.